Apparatus for applying wax to footwear



g- 29, 1967 w. W|NT-ERHOFF 3,338,210

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WAX T0 FOOTWEAR Filed Feb. 19, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVL-NTO/P Wen/e11 \A/IN re far-+066 29, 1967 w. WINTERHOFF v APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WAX TO FOOTWEAR Filed Feb. 19, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V W n/r01? l/\ ERNER Wm T'ER Ho F;

g- 29, 1957 w. WINTERHOFF 3,338,210

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WAX TO FOOTWEAR I v Fi led Feb. 19, 1964 3 Sheets-Shet s A'r-ID S.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,338,210 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,338,210 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WAX TO FOOTWEAR Werner Winterhotf, Waldstrasse 9, Schwelm, Westphalia, Germany Filed Feb. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 345,930 23 Claims. (Cl. 118-216) The invention relates to apparatus for applying polishing and/or treating compositions, hereinafter simply referred to as wax, for example to footwear and comprising a driven applicator and a container for fluent wax.

Apparatus for applying wax to footwear is known, for example where hard wax is made fluent on the surface by frictional heat. The frictional heat is usually generated by rotating radially mounted pieces of leather which absorb the fluent wax and transfer it to the footwear. It is also known to coat footwear, particularly the edges of soles and heels, with a fluent wax. A known apparatus of this type is similar to an extruder, the fluent wax being conveyed by a worm or screw feed. A roller is mounted at the outlet and it turns when placed on the footwear. This type of application works on a similar principle to a ball-point pen, where the liquid is also applied simply by rolling. But with such apparatus the volume of wax applied cannot be controlled sufliciently and the wax layer cannot easily be smoothed. Impurities in the wax or slubs from the soles or heels to be treated may very easily engage between the roller and the roller guide, thus impeding the roller in its movement or even completely jamming it.

The invention aims to provide improved Waxing apparatus. According to the invention, parts of the generated surface and possibly of the side surfaces of an applying roller form part of the boundary wall of a wax container, and the generated surface of the applying'roller has profiles which vary locally and which can be used selectively. The use of an applying roller as a wall bounding a wax container enables the wax to be applied with a single roller. The roller comes into contact with the fluent wax and is able to convey it out of the container. It is possible to mount the applying roller with parts of its lateral faces projecting into the wax container. In addition, the roller may be mounted with its generated surface or also parts of its lateral faces extending into the bottom of the wax container. Parts of the roller where no wax must be allowed to settle can be wiped clean. This can be done by means of surfaces which so closely adjoin the apertures in the boundary wall that virtually all the wax in this region is wiped away. The use of differently shaped portions of the roller permits easy adaptation to footwear of different designs.

The wax container as such may be of any shape, although it is desirable for it to be in the form of a tank mounted for tilting. If the wax container is in the form of a tank, the applying roller may advantageously be mounted at one end and Wax may easily be added through the freely accessible inlet from above.

In order to vary the thickness of the layer of Wax on the surface of the applying roller it is desirable to make the gap between the wax tank and the latter adjustable. The width of the gap may be varied, for example, by making the mounting of the roller and that of the tank variable in different ways. Any known adjustment means may be used for this purpose, particularly screw drives or cam surfaces, and control may be positively actuated or may be effected one-sidedly against the bias of springs. However, most of these adjustment means have the disadvantage either of not permitting precise adjustment or of permitting it only if a large number of screwthreads are operated or if adjustment is effected through a very long cam member.

In order to obtain effective adjustment with simple means the wax tank is tiltable. The wax tank is mounted with its supporting shaft outside the imaginary line joining the centre of the applying roller to the bearing surface of the tank. The pivotal axis of the wax tank, the bearing surface of the tank and the centre of the applying roller are thus at an angle to one another. With such an arrangeemnt, if the tank is tilted in one direction, the bearing surface of the tank approaches the generated surface of the applying roller, and if the tank is tilted in the opposite direction, a gap is formed at this place which can be accurately adjusted by the extent of tilting. In order to provide for accurate adjustment, the shaft for tilting the tank is mounted near the roller and the means for actuating the tilting movement remote therefrom. As the gap is varied only within very narrow limits, the angular variation of the tank need only be small.

A trunnion mounted eccentrically at one end of a rotary but stationary shaft is associated with the parts to be moved in order to tilt the wax tank. The trunnion engages the tank directly or indirectly, in the former case engaging in a slot in the tank.

In order to compensate for Wear on the roller and bearing edge, the eccentrically mounted trunnion or a part to which it is operatively connected is designed for initial or subsequent adjustment. It is desirable for such adjustment to be effected by a screw which is brought into variable operative connection with the trunnion, either directly or indirectly by means of other parts, and which as well as being adjustable can be fixed, for example by a check nut.

Various materials which are either actually fluent or are made fluent in the tank, for example by heating, may be used for application to the footwear. Waxes are the most suitable materials. Wax mixtures and plastics with properties similar to those of waxes may also be used. If Waxes are used which have to be made fluent by heating before use, the wax tank is provided with cavities in its base in which heating elements or devices are accommodated. The heating elements may be electrical resistance heaters, with control by a thermostat. However, other heating means are also possible, such as open flames or a supply of hot vapours or liquids.

An agitator is preferably provided inside the tank to prevent the fluent materials from thickening. It sets the bath into a reciprocating motion. It is also possible to set the liquid in rotary motion with stirring means such as vanes or rotary agitators. Although it is possible to use separate drive means for the agitator, it is more desirable for economic reasons to make use of the drive means already provided. For example a spring-loaded lever acting against a cam may be used to transfer the movement of the shaft of the applying roller to the agitator in the tank.

As the parts of the footwear which have to be waxed vary in width-this applies, for example, to soles and heels--the width of the wax to be applied must be adapted accordingly. For this purpose a wiper is associated with the generated surface of the applying roller. It is desirable for the wiper to be narrower than the roller. Such a wiper can be placed with one edge on the generated surface of the roller so that the latter remains free of wax along the width of the wiper. It is desirable for the wiping operation itself to take place inside the wax tank, with a knifelike edge of the wiper right at the end of the generated surface of the roller at the bearing edge of the tank. The wiper is mounted for displacement, so that wax strips of various widths can be obtained on the surface of the roller. It is displaced radially of the roller, in such a way that the knife-edge of the Wiper can reciprocate on the surface. Axial adjustment of the wiper varies the width of the wax applied to the surface, which means that the Wax coating may be of any desired width within the range of the width of the surface. In another embodiment the wiper is mounted for movement from and towards the generated surface of the roller. This modification is necessary so that the wiper can be lifted far enough off the surface of the roller to make the edge ineifective and to enable the coat of wax to be uniformly distributed over the surface of the wiper along the bearing edge.

The wiper could be mounted rigidly against the surface, although in this case it or the surface of the roller may be damaged if they bear too heavily on one another or if solids are forced into the bearing surface. To avoid these disadvantages the wiper is mounted resiliently against the base of the tank, particularly in the wiping position. Apart from this arrangement it is desirable for the wiper to be resiliently applicable to the surface of the roller. Due to the two spring paths, which are at an angle to one another, the wiper is forced exactly into the angle formed by the base of the wax tank and the surface of the roller. Whereas the spring action against the base of the tank may be continuous whatever the position of the wiper, the wiper must be fixedly mounted in its position away from the roller, for example by being hooked in this position.

In order that any foreign bodies, which may be separated from the footwear during its treatment and may settle on the surface of the roller, can be removed therefrom, a toothed wiper plate is provided, one toothed edge of which co-operates with the surface of the roller. The wiper plate is preferably displaceable.

The roller and particularly its generated surface is shaped differently in different places. For example it is possible to give the surface of the roller a cylindrical shape that is spherical at least in the region of one edge. If both edges are spherical they may differ in form from one another. If the roller is spherical in places there are advantages, for example in treating concave portions of the shoe.

In order that the footwear can be securely held during treatment or in order to make full use of a given width of wax layer, a laterally extending stop is associated with the roller. The stop may be displaceable. The adjusted position may be such that two different end positions can be reached, in a radial and an axial direction respectively. A stop of this type which is movable in two directions offers virtually all the possibilities of a good secure bearing for the shoe. As such a bearing is associated substantially laterally with the roller and projects beyond it only in a radial position, a second stop may be provided which extends axially and is mounted over the surface of the roller. It is desirable for the axial stop also to be displaceable.

A plurality of selectively operable applicators may be associated with the apparatus to enable shoes of different colours to be treated. The applicators may receive waxes of different colours. Each applicator may have a drive of its own. It is desirable, however, for the wax applicators to have a common drive. This may be effected manually, for example with a crank gear, but it is preferable to use a motor, particulrly an electric one, in which case the applicators can be coupled individually with the drive. This can be done in many different ways. It should be mentioned that the drive is associated with stationary parts, particularly a base plate, and the applicators are mounted for rotation singly or together about the stationary drive means, the drives for the applicators being arranged at an equal radial distance from the point of rotation. This makes it possible for the individual drive means for the applicators, together with the motor, to be located in specific positions. The connection between the input and the output drive may be formed in various ways depending on the relative position of the two, for example with couplings inthe case of a coaxial connection and with friction wheels in the case of a parallel connection. The individual couplings between the input and the ouput drive are desirably provided by locking stationary and moving parts together.

An example of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a part-sectional side view of a waxing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a part-section through one of the wax-applicators of the waxing apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a section through parts of the applicator of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a form spring and catch used in the waxing apparatus, and

FIG. 6 shows a shaping roller used in the waxing apparatus.

For the sake of clarity parts of the actual wax-applicator are omitted from FIG. 1 and reproduced separately in other figures. Referring to FIG. 1, all the components of the waxing machine are associated with a stand com.-

prising a base 10 and a central post or shaft 11. The

stand carries certain fixed components as well as components which are mounted loosely about the shaft 11 and which can be rotated and locked in various positions relatively to one another.

The only component which is directly rotatable on the shaft 11 is a round trough 12, although various components are in turn associated with the trough; particularly the special wax-applicators. The trough 12. is mounted by means of ball bearings 13 in order to facilitate rotation. The trough 12 may be fixed to the base 10 when these two parts are to be secured against relative rotation. It may for example be fixed by coupling parts of the drive to one of the wax-applicators. For this purpose, the base is provided with a lock 14 comprising a guide 15 in which a round bolt or pin 16 is mounted for displacement against the bias of a compression spring 17. The bolt 16 can be moved by means of a knob 18 slidable in a slot 19 in the guide 15. The tip of the bolt 16 engages in holes 20 in brackets associated with the outer marginal portions of the trough 12.

The upper part of the shaft 11 carries the fixed parts of the drive comprising an electric motor 21, the shaft of which carries a V-pulley 22. Also fixed to the upper part of the shaft 11, this time laterally, is a hearing or plummer block 23 with a shaft 24 rotating therein, on which are mounted a V-pulley 25 which is connected to the pulley 22 by a V-belt 27, and a disc acting as a friction wheel 26.

The friction wheel 26 serves to drive the or one of the wax-applicators mounted in the region of the edge of the trough 12. The edge of the trough 12 carries plummer or bearing blocks 28 receiving the wax-applicators. The blocks 28 may vary in construction and carry various assemblies which are shown in the drawings and will be explained more fully hereinafter. An applying roller 29. is fixed to one end of a shaft30 mounted for rotation in a bearing 31 of the block 28. The other end of the shaft carries a fixed friction wheel 32 which engages the friction wheel 26. FIG. 1 also shows a stop 33 anda bracket 70 with a toothed wiper plate 76. Details of the operation of these parts will follow.

In the example chosen, three applicators spaced at are associated with the trough 12, as shown in FIG. 2

where, in order to clarify the construction, the three applicators are shown at different stages of assembly. For the applicator directly adjoining the electric motor 21 in the drawing, there is shown the wax tank 34 which:

has a recess at the top of one of its walls for receiving of the tank 34 is effected through a second bearing ar ranged at the end of the tank opposite the applying roller 29. For this purpose a small bearing block 37 on the tank receives a trunnion 38 which is eccentrically associted with one end of a shaft 39 which, in turn, is mounted for rotation in the bearing block 28. The eccentric trunnion 38 of the shaft 39 is arranged so that, when the shaft 39 is rotated, the bearing block 37 receiving the trunnion 38 is moved upwardly or downwardly depending on the direction of rotation. In this way, the tank 34 is tilted about the shaft 36. The shaft 39 is fixed to a radially mounted lever 40. At the other end of the lever 40 there is a pin 41 which slides in a curved portion 42 of a detent seat or which can be fixed by detent members so that the tank 34 is retained in its set position.

For the lowermost applicator assembly in FIG. 2 there is shown the movable stop 33 comprising a disc 43 which is coextensive with the applying roller 29, and which can be axially and radially adjusted in relation thereto. Such dual adjustment is obtained by two different types of mounting, one type being used for axial displacement and the other for radial. Radial displacement of the dsic 43 is obtained in that the disc is seated on a sleeve 44 having an eccentric peripheral groove. Part of the sleeve 44 is knurled and it is releasably held to a fixed shaft 45 on the bearing block 28 by being pressed against a shoulder on the shaft by a knurled lock nut 46. In order that the disc 43 may be adjusted radially despite the means which permit the axial adjustment, the latter are mounted in an elongated aperture in the disc 43, the aperture extending in the direction of radial displacement. Axial movement of the disc 43 is effected by a knurled nut 48 which is displaceable on a screw-threaded pin 47. The nut 48 can be tightened to move the disc 43 along the pin 47 towards the applying roller 29 against the action of a compression spring 49, or loosened so that the spring 49 forces the disc further away from the applying roller. The front edge of the disc 43 has a curvature the same as that of the applying roller 29 so that it substantially coincides with the peripheral surface of the roller 29. The outer edge of the disc 43 is chamfered.

FIG. 3 shows part of one of the applicators in longitudinal section. The wax tank 34 is mounted on the shaft 36 and can be tilted thereabout, as already described by means of the eccentric trunnion 38. Such tilting alters the width of the gap between the surface of the roller 29 and a surface 50 of the tank 34 bounding the recess in which the roller is mounted, thereby controlling the application of wax to the surface of the roller 29 which can entrain only as much wax as is admitted through the gap. The roller 29 rotates in the direction of the arrow.

Blind bores 51 are provided to accommodate electrical heaters to make the wax fluent. The heaters may be electrical resistance cartridges.

In order to prevent the fluent wax from hardening it is desirable to keep it in motion. For this purpose the tank 34 contains an agitator 52 which lies on the base of the tank and can be actuated by a lever 53. The lever engages in an aperture in the agitator 52 and is fixed to a shaft 54, which is mounted in the top of the side walls of the tank 34 and projects beyond the tank where a lever 55 is fixed to it. The lever 55 engages in a bifurcation of a two-armed lever 56 which is mounted for rotation in the bearing block 28 by means of a pivot shaft 57. The lower, free arm of the two-armed lever 56 has a hole in which is suspended a tension spring 58 connected to parts of the bearing block 28. The two-armed lever 56 is also fixed to a one-armed lever 59, which is at an acute angle to the forked end and has an arcuate extension at one side. The tension spring 58 applies the extension to the surface of an eccentrically mounted disc or cam 60 which is associated with the shaft 30 carrying the applying roller 29. Due to the eccentricity of the disc 60 the agitator 52 receives the desired reciprocating movement through the above-mentioned components.

In order to obtain wax-free zones on the application surface of the roller 29 it is necessary to mount a wiper 61 in such a way that, however wide the gap, and thus however thick the wax layer, it bears on the surface of the roller 29 in the immediate region of the surface 50. For this purpose the wiper 61 is connected to a shoe 62, which is mounted with a lever 63 in the manner of an elbow lever joint by means of a pivot pin 64. The shoe 62 and lever 63 forming the elbow joint are forced into an inclined position by a compression spring 65, which is located to one side in a radial direction of the hinge pin 64 and each end of which acts against a surface transverse to the lever and shoe respectively. As the lever 63 has a fixed point on a shaft 66, the eflfect of the inclination is to press the knife-like edge of the wiper 61 resiliently onto the base of the tank 34.

The wiper 61 is also pressed resiliently against the surface of the applying roller 29. This is done by a form spring 67 (FIG. 5) which is held by two fixed pins 68 connected to the bracket 70, and the free resilient limb of which bears against a pin 69, which extends radially to and is connected to the journal 66 counter to the direction of the lever 63. Thus, the wiper 61 is applied to the surface of the roller 29 by the form spring 67 in that the lever 63 together with the wiper 61 are moved over the point of rotation of the shaft 66 and the pin 69, which together form a two-armed lever.

In order to raise the wiper 61 from the surface of the roller 29, a catch 71 (FIG. 5), which is mounted for rotation on the bracket 70, is moved about its point of rotation in such a way that an edge designed as an abutting surface for the pin 69 acts against the pin 69 and, by means of the incline, moves it towards its point of rotation against the bias of the form spring 67. Due to the two-armed eflect, the wiper 61 is thus moved in the opposite direction, so that it is raised from the surface of the roller 29 and is held in a locked position by the catch 71 when the latter is at its end stop.

The wiper 61 is narrower than the applying roller 29 (FIG. 4). Thus only an area having the width of the wiper 61 can be kept free from wax. Since it is desirable to obtain strips of wax of diflerent widths, the wiper 61 may be moved axially to the roller 29. This is done in the same way as in the case of the stop 33. For this purpose, the lever 63 is mounted for axial displacement on the shaft 66. The change in position is brought about by a knurled nut 72, which co-operates with a screwthread at the end of the shaft 66. A compression spring 73 is mounted over the shaft 66 and abuts on the bracket 70. As the lever is moved, the pin 69 slides along a certain length of the free limb of the form spring 67.

The generated surface of the roller 29 is shaped variously. Thus, if the basic shape is cylindrical, the roller may be spherical in the region of one edge. It is also possible to shape the roller differently in different places; an example of this is shown in FIG. 6. Apart from the already described stop 33 for the applicator, it is also possible to provide an additional stop which comes to lie at the other side of the roller 29. A stop of this type is shown at 74 in FIG. 6. It is held-in a slot in the bearing block 28 by a screw 75 and can be moved laterally through the slot. In

order to prevent the abraded or dust particles deposited on the surface of the roller 29 from entering the wax tank 34, the roller 29 is freed of these by the toothed wiper plate 76. For this purpose a journal 77 is associated with the plate 76, being mounted for rotation in the bracket so as to enable the toothed edge to be pivoted downwardly. I

Other forms of the invention are possible. For example,

one wax applicator alone may be provided with the necessary drive and stand assemblies. It is also possible to arrange a plurality of such wax applicators diflerently from the manner described, for example in rows or in opposed relation. The wax tank may be shaped differently, and the applying roller may engage in the walls of such a tank in a different way. It is also possible to arrange the applicator itself differently, to use difl erently shaped stOps or different means for adjusting the latter. The tiltable arrangement of the wax tank may be replaced by other adjusting means such as screws, and the width of the gap may be adjusted by moving the roller away from the tank or vice versa. The wax tank may be fixed in its tiltable position by detent means, for example by fixing a detent surface to the adjustment shaft and fixing the individual locking positions by means of a spring. In this case either an end, edge or limb of the spring may engage in the detents, or the spring may act through a shoe or toothed device connected thereto. It is also possible to cover the wax tank with a push-on or hinged lid, in the latter case the lid exposing only the surface of the tank when it is partially opened. The Wax can be made fluent by other forms. of heating. For example, an open flame or hot fluids supplied through a pipe system may be used. The heating itself may be controlled by a thermostat, and the thermostat may be variable so as to enable the apparatus to operate with the liquid wax at different temperatures.

' Although reference is made herein to a waxing apparatus, the use of the invention is not restricted to wax. Paraffin, stearine or other compositions can be used instead. It is also possible to use plastics which can be made fluent by heating or by solvents which vaporize during or after application. The whole wax-applying roller may be made of a material which is deformable within certain limits or it can have a rigid core provided with a deformable covering.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying wax, comprising drive means and an applicator, said applicator being operatively connectable to said drive means and including an applying roller rotatable about a given axis and a container for fluent wax tiltable about a separate axis, wherein the generated surface of the applying roller has differently shaped selectively usable profiles and portions of at least said generated surface form part of the boundary wall of the container and wherein a portion of the bottom edge of the container coacts with said generated surface to form a gap therebetween, said separate axis being subjacent said bottom edge, and means for tilting said container and adjusting said gap.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tilt of the tank is adjustable by a trunnion which engages the tank and is mounted eccentrically at one end of a rotary shaft.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the trunnion is adjustable.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tank has cavities for accommodating heating means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, including an agitator provided inside the tank.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the agitator is operatively connectable to said drive means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the agi tator is controlled by a spring-loaded lever acting against a cam.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a wiper associated with the generated surface of the roller but narrower than said roller.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the" wiper is displaceable both radially and axially of the roller.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein-the wiper is spring influenced against the base of the tank and against the generated surface of the roller.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, including catch means effective to hold the wiper out of contact with the roller.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a displaceable wiper plate co-operating with the generated surface of the roller.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generated surface of the roller comprises a plurality of intersecting generated surface portions each making a different angle to the axis of the roller.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said intersecting surfaces form at least one peripheral ridge in the mid portion of said roller.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a laterally extending displaceable stop associated with the roller.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the stop is displaceable radially and axially of the roller.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the roller is associated with an additional displaceable stop extending axially thereto.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising additional applicators rotatable about said given axis and substantially equally spaced thereabout and therefrom and each having a said container.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the drive means are common to all the applicators.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the drive means are mounted on a stationary base plate.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the applicators are mounted for rotation about the drive means, drive transmission members being mounted on each applicator at an equal radial distance from the axis of rotation.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the drive transmission members comprise a friction wheel engageable with a friction wheel of the drive means.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22, including locking means for securing the applicators against rotation about the drive means when the friction wheel of an.

applicator is in engagement with the friction wheel of the drive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 629,126 7/ 1899 Evans et a1 118-22 X 1,248,314 11/1917 Grahl 118-250 2,094,658 10/ 1937 Keith 118-258 X 2,260,255 10/1941 Leary 118-612 X 2,437,431 3/ 1948 Liberty 118-202 X FOREIGN PATENTS 547,311 8/ 1942 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

L. G. MACI-ILIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WAX, COMPRISING DRIVE MEANS AND AN APPLICATOR, SAID APPLICATOR BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTABLE TO SAID DRIVE MEANS AND INCLUDING AN APPLYING ROLLER ROTATABLE ABOUT A GIVEN AXIS AND A CONTAINER FOR FLUENT WAX TILTABLE ABOUT A SEPARATE AXIS, WHEREIN THE GENERATED SURFACE OF THE APPLYING ROLLER HAS DIFFERENTLY SHAPED SELECTIVELY USABLE PROFILES AND PORTIONS OF AT LEAST SAID GENERATED SURFACE FORM PART OF THE BOUNDARY WALL OF THE CONTAINER AND WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE BOTTOM EDGE OF 